Injury Could Keep Perry Out

December 29, 2001|By Omar Kelly Staff writer

MIAMI — Maryland tailback Bruce Perry missed Thursday's practice nursing a strained abdominal muscle, and coach Ralph Friedgen said if the Atlantic Coast Conference's Offensive Player of the Year isn't able to practice two days before Wednesday's Orange Bowl, he will not play.

"I'm concerned. Right now, I don't know if he will play," Friedgen said. "If he doesn't practice he won't play. I can tell you that."

Perry, who rushed for 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, strained his abdominal muscle last week in practice and re-injured it Thursday during a running drill.

It hurts Perry most when he makes a lateral movement, which is a significant aspect of his running style.

If Perry is not able to play, running backs coach Mike Locksley said senior Marc Riley will get the start, but freshman Jason Crawford would receive the majority of the carries.

Riley, who rushed for 338 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, is a big physical back, (6 feet 3, 225 pounds) who mostly is used in short-yardage situations.

Crawford, who rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries this season, is a better all-around back whose running style is similar to Perry's.

"They are both big backs who have the ability to run through tackles, but Jason gives us more on the perimeter," Locksley said. "Mark has been a short-yardage back for us, but he's also shown that if we give him the ball a few times he's going to crack a long one out for us."

Another blow to Maryland's running game is the absence of left guard Todd Wike, a first team All-ACC offensive lineman, who missed practice Thursday.

He is nursing a strained right ankle.

Friedgen said Wike's swelling has gone down, and that he will be put in a walking boot.

Wike is listed as day-to-day and could be back at practice today.

While Wike is sidelined, Kyle Schmitt, a 6-5, 309-pound redshirt freshman, has been working with the first team.

Lack of depth is limiting practices

Friedgen said he would like to scrimmage more to get his players sharp again after such a long layoff, but he's worried someone else will get hurt.

Maryland is doing what Friedgen calls "thud work," which involves players going full speed but not tackling to the ground.

"Hopefully that would help us," he said. "If I had more depth I'd line up and scrimmage, but we don't have much."

But Friedgen said practices are going as he expected.

What has surprised him is the amount of time the Orange Bowl's off-the-field commitments have been taking up.

Friedgen said this is the first time since he has been a head coach that he has been away from the game-planning elements of the team's preparation, and it feels a little strange to him.

"I know what's going on. I know what we're doing but I haven't studied the film as much as I have in the past," he said. "[Normally] I was looking at film 500 times.

"I've only looked at it 15 or 20."

James is forgiven, rejoins Terps

Tight end Eric James missed the team's flight to Miami because he overslept and had to pay his way down on his own before rejoining the team Friday.

James had to ask Friedgen for forgiveness before he could rejoin the team, and Friedgen said he forgave the senior mainly because he hadn't attended a bowl game throughout his career.